University Of Miami Football Program Using Drones During Practice

The University of Miami football team is now getting with the program and using some futuristic technology to help their program. The program is using drones to film their practices and to review practice footage. Drones are relatively inexpensive nowadays and according to coaches, $500 is all they needed to study film or review plays like they never have before.

“It’s all about getting the players information they need so they can play fast and execute,” Miami coach Al Golden said. “This drone, in terms of quarterback play, I don’t know if there’s any other way to do it anymore.”

Miami isn’t the first to bring a drone into practices. UCLA made headlines last spring when it revealed it has embraced the drone point of view, and Tennessee and Louisville are among the few other schools who are known to have tinkered with the technology.

Miami isn’t just tinkering. The drone is necessary equipment now for the Hurricanes, who are planning to acquire more and better ones soon, and it will soon be part of Miami’s recruiting pitches.

“We’ve always been behind in sports when it comes to technology,” Miami offensive coordinator James Coley said. “Coaches don’t like change. Nobody does this, not the way we do this.” Coley said he started seriously thinking about bringing a drone into practice this summer. He was on vacation in the British Virgin Islands and noticed one of the small devices hovering about. He eventually ordered a drone and five battery packs, since the flying time on each battery was only about eight minutes per charge. The Hurricanes put the drone into regular use starting around late September, and it’s perhaps not a coincidence that Kaaya — the team’s true freshman quarterback — has been making better decisions ever since.

Now, lets just make sure they don’t get that drone knocked down into smithereens by spiraling football.